Pitching from an ice hole - a perfect example of Finnish innovation

What is the scariest stage you have been on? This is a question Finns are giving an easy answer to once again this February. Polar Bear Pitching is a unique pitching event in that there is no time limit for your speech, but you have to do it while standing waist deep in a hole carved to the frozen Baltic Sea.

Finns like to describe their attitude towards life with one word, sisu. Sisu stands for the spirit of never giving up and rising to meet any challenge, whatever it may be never thinking that anything would be too much to handle. This is the mindset you need to compete in Polar Bear Pitching as temperatures can be less than -30 degrees Celsius, and the Finnish winter is famous for being harsh.

It sounds extreme, but that is exactly why this concept works. Here you can really show in a very concrete way, how far you are willing to go for your business. It is easy for investors to see who is serious about their work. Also, it is an opportunity for startups to get media exposure on a global scale.

The event has a lot more to offer the business community. Apart from the adrenaline-pumping finals The Dark Bear Semi-Finals will be on the 6th of February, where anyone can take a dip in the frozen sea to compete for the opportunity to get into the finals. Later that evening there will be a party to help people warm back up. The morning of the 7th opens with a business conference, and in the evening is the main event, the world-famous finals, followed by crazy cool after party.

Regardless of whether they win or lose, many companies see their sales skyrocket after participating in Polar Bear Pitching. It really makes anyone stand out, when standing in seawater in front of an audience dressed for an arctic expedition. If you’re lucky, you may even have an aurora borealis above you. This stage truly is an experience like no other.

Polar Bear Pitching gathers already for the fifth time entrepreneurs, investors and media from around the world to Oulu on 6. - 7.02. The event is known for it’s finals where entrepreneurs pitch from an ice hole outdoors. During the two days there will also be a conference, evening parties and a winter spa village open to everyone.

Mer om utgivaren

Polar Bear Pitching is a non-profit organization (NPO) from Oulu, Finland. Its mission is to help startups to succeed and break down the barriers of development and growth. The annual Polar Bear Pitching event is organized in Oulu, Northern Finland in co-operation with the University of Oulu, the city of Oulu, Oulu University of Applied Sciences, Business Kitchen, and other organizations, entrepreneurs and volunteers of the community.​